Agralan commercail grower

AGRALAN is a specailist company offering a range of products which allow growers to reduce, rationalise or avoid the need for pesticide applications. Parallel to this, Agralan also market a range of Home and Garden Products.

Enviromesh is widely used by organic growers for the production of vegetable crops. However, it is increasingly being used by conventional growers for the production of high value crops against the weather and pests. As the availability of effective pesticides reduces, so the importance of Enviromesh to conventional growers will become of increasing importance.

birchmierch sprayers

Insect monitoring systems are an essential aid to integrated crop management. The traditional attitude of routine spraying is now outmoded. Justification for pesticide application is now commonly required and the precise timing of sprays is often essential to achieve effective control.

Agralan are the UK agent for the Birchmeier range of sprayers. Manufactured in Switzerland, this range has an excellent reputation for quality and reliability. Further information can be found on the website www.birchmeier.com

aeroxon link

Agralan also market Biobest Bumblebees and biological control agents in the UK. Biobest are based in Belgium and operate world-wide. They were the first company to develop the rearing of bumblebees for use as pollinators and are one of the leading producers of beneficial insects.

The safe use of pesticides, in conjunction with beneficial insects, is constantly under review. See their website www.aeroxon.de for further information.

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Agralan are also the agent for the Aeroxon range of 'nuisance insect' control products. Further information can be found on their website contact us

Agralan will continue to expand their range of products - do not hesitate to contact us if you think we may be of help.

Benificial Insects Bees

Bumble bees are universally used for the pollination of glasshouse tomato crops. They are now increasingly being used for the pollination of soft fruit crops such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Simple to use, maintenance free, hives are available in a range of sizes from mini hives to multi hives to suit the crop area and type. Hives come with a built-in lifetime supply of sugar solution, dried pollen is also available as a supplement for feeding in the case of delayed flowering, or low crop pollen availability. For further information see www.biobest.be or contact the Agralan office.

Recent years have seen a reduction in the range and availability of pesticides, with increasing demands from supermarkets and consumers for "nil residues" in food. Coupled with this there is an increase in demand for and the production of organic food. The use of beneficial insects, perhaps with the careful use of a few selective insecticides, can result in sustainable pest management that is economic and safe for both producer and consumer.

Biological control, with the use of parasites, predators and pathogens, should be regarded as just one element of an Integrated Pest Management system. Cultural control, good crop hygiene, accurate environmental control, crop monitoring with pheromone or sticky traps are all part of an IPM programme. Identification and an understanding of the pest and predators life cycles is useful and will be gained with experience. Most common pests of protected crops (and some outdoor crops) such as whitefly, two-spotted mite, thrips, aphids and leaf miner can be effectively controlled with the use of beneficial insects. It should be noted that they invariably work better as a preventative measure, or when introduced at the first sign of pest damage. Please see www.biobest.be for a full list of beneficial insects, crop use and side-effects of pesticides in IPM systems, or contact the Agralan office.